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Government slams Vatican reaction to bishop's arrest

    NAIROBI

    The Rwandan government has slammed the Vatican over its reaction to the arrest of Bishop Augustin Misago, who is suspected of genocide. Bishop Misago, of Gikongoro prefecture, was arrested by the Rwandan authorities on Wednesday and is currently being held at the Muhima military prison in Kigali.

    A spokesman for the Vatican on Thursday described the arrest as a
    "serious blow" not only for the church in Rwanda, but for the Catholic church as a whole. "We hope the bishop will receive legal guarantees...and that his innocence will be quickly proven," the spokesman said, according to Radio France Internationale.

    However, Rwandan government spokesman Major Wilson Rutayisire told the Rwanda News Agency (RNA) Misago was arrested "because of his personal involvement in the crimes he committed". "We do not believe he acted on behalf of the Catholic church whether in Rwanda or anywhere else," he said. "But if the Catholic church believes Bishop Misago was acting on its behalf, then it should answer for his charges of genocide in a court of law."

    In a statement dated 9 April, received on Friday by IRIN, Misago protested his innocence, describing the accusations against him as "falsehoods".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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